Property owners in five Brampton wards now need a license to rent out four or less units

As of last week, Brampton property owners in five of the city's wards are required to obtain a license to rent out four or less units.

The new licence policy was launched by Brampton City Hall under its two-year Residential Rental Licensing Pilot program that began on Jan. 1 for homeowners, and or landlords in the city's five wards –— 1, 3, 4, 5 and 7.

"We have a problem of illegal units in our city," Brampton mayor Patrick Brown said at a press conference Dec. 28.

The decision came last December after the city received thousands of complaints about lodging houses, illegal basements, excessive weed growth, and overflowing garbage. Brown said the city has heard complaints about an estimated 30,000 units, but the actual number "could be much larger."

In one case, he said, the city received a report of about more than 12 international students living in one basement apartment.

"That's not right," Brown said, "We can't have people living in third world conditions in a country as prosperous as Canada."

Brampton has launched its Residential Rental Licensing pilot program after receiving thousands of complaints about lodging houses, basements, excessive weed growth, and overflowing garbage. Brown said the city has an estimated 30,000 illegal units, but the actual number “could be much larger.” (City of Brampton)

Until now, the city didn't have a program in place to regulate rentals of four or less units.

The city's zoning laws defined lodging house as "a single detached dwelling in which lodging is provided for more than four persons with or without meals."

License fee and penalties 

Licensing costs are $300 annually. The fees will be waived for those who apply until March 31 this year and discounted by 50 per cent between April 1 and June 30. The renewal fees for 2025 remain $300.

The city says the fees will be used for clerk's time to process applications, plumbing system inspection, fire inspection, and enforcement.

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Residents in the ward who meet the following criteria are supposed to register under the program:

• Rental properties that are operating in Wards 1, 3, 4, 5, and 7 during the two-year pilot program.

• Properties that are renting four or less units.

• Owners of rental housing units.

• Operators of rental housing units.

• Dwelling units used or intended to be used for a rental housing unit.

There will be inspections and penalties for non-compliance that are set to be announced later this month.

"We don't tolerate absentee landlords who have been lodging houses with deplorable conditions," said Brown.

Program could extend to other wards 

The pilot project applies to the five downtown wards because it's home to multiple post-secondary institutions.

"So obviously, there is a more acute problem," Brown said.

He said if the pilot tackles the problem of illegal units in the enforced wards it can be rolled across the city.